Tea-kettle.



PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

A. w. GRAM. TEA KETTLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1906.

m: NORRIS PETERS cu, \vasnmcrmv. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT UEETCE.

ALONZO W. CRAM, or rnrvnnnnit, MASSACHUSETTS.

TEA-KETTLE.

To rt 10/1/0771, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALoNZo \V. Crone, of Haverhill, county of Essex,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tea-Kettles, ofwhich the following description, in connection withthe accompanyingdrawings, is e specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like per ts.

My invention has for its p;incip;tl object to provide a form ofautomatic tea-kc ttle cover which is adapted to open automatically topermit the flow of water into the kettle and to close automatically whenthe ilowhes ceased, which may be manufactured econon icnlly and withoutincrease over the cost of the ordinary cover, and wlich is adapted to bereadily removed to perniit access of the inte rior of the kettle for thepurpose of cleaning, &c.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for preventing thesides of the kettle from beconiing blackened by smoke or discolored byheat.

For an understn-nding of my invention rel' erence is made to theaccompanying drawings. in wh ich Figure l is a vertical central sectionof a ordinary tee-kettle provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the top portion thereof. Fig. 3 1s a plan now or a modified formof my invention. Fig. & is a sectional view of the form shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bottom portion a of the kettle is soldered tothe top portion 1) in the usual manner, and a basin-shaped recess ordepression is provided in the middle of said top portion, the bottom ofsxid recess being preferably integral with the top portion 1) andpreferably being formed in the process of spinning the latter. Thebottom 1) of said depressed or recessed portion is provided with onopening I) in the middle portion thereof, rid opening preferably havingcurved ends and parallel sides, although the exact form is not material.Said bottom I) is also provided with a pair of oppositely-disposednotches If, which lead from said opening at points approximately midwaybetween one end and the middle thereof. A basin-shaped or concavedvalve-plate 0, of similar shape to said opening 12 but of somewhatgreater dimensions, is arranged to eX tend through slid opening If, itsedge portion being located in said notches b wh ch latter are ofsufficient width to permit the plate to swing therein on projectingpivot- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 6,1906.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Serial No, 294,885.

lugs 0, formed on said plate at opposite sides thereof, and adapted toengage the bottom '1) adjacent the cues of said notches. Said lugs c arelocated in corresponding pesitiens to slid notches b, and the pen ts arearranged so that the edge of the larger portion of said plate 0 at oneside of said lugs will engage the under side of the recess-bottom I) andthe edge of the smtller portion thereof will engage the upper side orsaid bottom so as practically to close said opening 5*. A weight (Z ofsuitable form is secured by n rivet e to the under side of plate betweenthe line between the bearing eoges of t e lugs c and its adjace nt end,szid weight being so formed that it will swing through opening If whenthe plate 0 is swung on its lugs 0, so that the edge portion of theplate adjacent the weight may bear on the bottom I) of the recess. Theweight (I is heavy enough to hold the plate in its closed position,although a small amount of water on the plate will cause it to tip topermit the water to flow over the edges of the plate into the kettle. Ifit is desired to remove the plate 0, this may be eesily done by drawingit out through notches I)", the weighted end of the plate forn ing aconvenient handle.

Instead of employing two rivets to holel the weight d in place I find itless expensive to form a square hole in the plate and weight, so thatwhen the pin 0 is riveted to form a. head at its ends it will be forcedinto the corners of the square hole.

It will be apparent that an ordinary teakettle may be provided with theform of antomatic cover before described without increasing the cost ofmanufacture as compared with a kettle having the ordinary cover, whichhas none of the advantages in the way of convenience possessed by theconstruction above described.

hile the above-described form of my invention is especially advantageousin the original construction of the kettle, yet it may be advantageouslyemployed in the bottom of a receptacle which is adopted to fit into theusual top opening of the kettle in place of the cover. This applicationof my invention is illustrated in Figs. and i, in which is shown a cupor basin 9, having a concave bottom 9, provided with on opening 9 saidopening being closed by a weighted concave valve-plate 71 ofsubstantially the same shape as the cover or plate 0, and insubstantially the some manner the plate 7r is provided with pivot-lugsh, which bear on the bottom 9 at the ends of notches g therein. As thisinstance it is not desirable to have the plate 7L removable it isprovided with lugs k (indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 3,) which areadapted to engage the under side of the bottom g directly opposite thelugs h. In assembling the parts the lugs h are bent so that they willpass through the notches g and then they are bent back into the positionshown.

To prevent smoke from blackening the sides of the kettle and heat frominjuring or discoloring the finish thereon, I provide ahorizontally-projecting annular rib f on the side of the kettle adjacentits bottom. Said rib may be easily formed in the process of making thekettle and effectively protects the sides of the kettle from'smoke andheat by deflecting the same to one side.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A kettle having a top opening, a valve plate extending through saidopening and having oppositely-disposed pivot-lugs supported on the upperside of the walls surrounding said opening and located between the endsof the plate, the portion of said plate at one side of said lugs beingadapted to bear against the under side of said walls and the oppositeportion of said plate against the upper side thereof, and means fornormally holding said portions of said plate in engagement with saidwalls to close said opening, substantially as described.

2. A kettle having a recess in its top, the bottom of said recess havingan opening and having oppositely-disposed notches therein leading fromsaid opening, a valve-plate extending through said opening and locatedat its edges in said notches and having pivotlugs adapted to engage thebottom of said recess adjacent the ends of said notches, the portion ofsaid plate at one side of said lugs being adapted to engage the underside of said bottom, and at the opposite portion thereof to engage theupper side of said bottom to close said opening, and means for nor mallyholding said portions of said plate in engagement with said bottom,substantially as described.

3. A kettle having a recess in its top, the bottom of said recess havingan opening, a valve-plate extending through said opening and havingpivot-lugs bearing on said bottom and disposed between the middle andone end of said plate, the larger portion of said plate at the one sideof said lugs being adapted to bear against the under side of said bottomand the smaller portion thereof being adapted to bear against the upperside of said bottom, and a weight on said smaller portion for holdingsaid portions in engagement with said bottom to close said opening,substantially as described.

4. A kettle having a recess in its top, the bottom of said recess havingan opening, a valve-plate extending through said opening and havingpivot-lugs bearing on said bottom and disposed between the middle andone end of said plate, the larger portion of said plate at the one sideof said lugs being adapted to bear against the under side of said bottomand the smaller portion thereof being adapted to bear against the upperside of said bottom, and a weight connected to the under side of thesmaller portion of said plate for holding said plate in position toclose said opening, said weight being arranged to pass through saidopening when the plate is in the closed position, substantially asdescribed.

5. A kettle having a recess in its top, the bottom of said recess havingan opening and having oppositely-disposed notches therein leading fromsaid opening, a valve-plate ex-l tending through said opening andlocated at its edges in said notches and having pivotlugs adapted toengage the bottom of said recess adjacent the ends of said notches, theportion of said plate at one side of said lugs being adapted to engagethe under side of said bottom, and being of less width than thedistance. between the inner ends of said notches, to permit readyremoval of said plate, the opposite portion thereof being adapted toengage the upper side of said bottom, and means for normallyholding saidplate in the position to close said opening, substantially as described.

6. A receptacle having a top opening, a removable cover for closing saidopening having pivotal supports at opposite sides thereof engaging thewall about said opening, the portion of said cover at one side of saidpivotal supports being insertible in said opening to bring said supportsinto engagement with said wall, and said cover being balanced on saidsupports to swing automatically into engagement with said Wall to closesaid opening, substantially as described.

7. A receptacle having a top opening, a removable cover having a portionthereof extending through said opening, and having pivotal supports atopposite sides thereof ongaging the wall about said opening, the portionof said cover at one side of said pivotal supports being insertible insaid opening to bring said supports into engagement with said wall, theunder side of the opposite portion thereof being adapted to engage thecorresponding portion of said wall, said cover being balanced normallyto hold such portions in engagement, substantially as described.

S. A receptacle having a top opening, a removable cover for closing saidopening having pivotal supports at opposite sides thereof engaging thewall about said opening, the portion of the cover at one side of theline between said supports being of materially greater area than theportion at the other side thereof, and said portion of the greater areabeing insertible in said opening to bring said supports in engagementwith said Wall, the portion of less area thereof being counter- Weightedto swing the cover into its closed position, substantially as described.

9. A receptacle having a top opening, a removable cover for closing saidopening having pivotal supports at opposite sides thereof engaging thewall about said opening, the portions of the cover at one side of theline tween said supports being of materially greater area than theportion at the other side thereof, and said portion of the greater areabeing insertible in said opening to bring said supports in engagementwith said Wall, the cover portion of less area being of greater areathan the corresponding portion of said opening and counterweighted toswing the edge portion thereof into engagement with the surrounding Wallportion to close said opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALONZO WV. CRAM.

Witnesses:

L. H. HARRIMAN, H. B. DAVIS.

